August 21, 2009
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Perception
I just love my Mary Kay consultant friends! One recently sent me this to ponder:
Perception
..something to think about…
Washington , D.C.
Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.
The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes, a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.
This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $200.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…. How many other things are we missing?
Comments (18)
I like that the CHILDREN got it but the adults with the kids totally missed it. Good story.
Hard to believe! We are so locked into a schedule no time for any thing out of the way let alone some one begging in the train station! So sad…
We can learn alot from kids.
we have a professional chelloist, ms, live just up the holler from us…he comes home from concerts and in the evenings plays out on his deck…me I slow down and go outside to water and just take it all in…the animals love it to…but then again I would have been the one late for an appointment that day cuz I’ve learned that if’n one stops to smell the roses and listen that one might get pricked with a thorn…oh well they heal…your spirit and soul need time to heal too…but then again I’m…unhu we ain’t going there…I’m me…that’s me story and I’s sticking to it…LOL…smile
WOW! That is something to think about. I know I would have stopped!
I am sure this is a beautiful and well written post, but I am in a hurry to get to some other sites so I don’t really have time to sit and take in every word… here… a couple of eProps for your troubles… toot-a-loo!
Maybe if he was playing in a park more people would have been able to take the time to stop and listen. It could be that people rushing to get to work or an appointment just couldn’t take the time to stop…However, there is a good point to the story.
That would be cool to see, love violin music
agendas and attention, our little minds have limited focus capacity.
Wow that is amazing! no one even noticed or seemed to care. Very good post!
Great post and so true.
I would like to think that I would be hard pressed to rush my children on if we happened upon someone playing like this even if it wasn’t Bach (one of my favorite oldies) and even if the rendering of the song didn’t sound nearly as skillful as this young man’s must have because I think that even a mediocre street musician is an occassion, then again, we don’t live in a metropolitan area where such occassions ever occur. Whenever in my travels I have come across public performers, it has always seemed magical (even in New Orleans on Burbon Street where we were bombarded by one after another looking for a tip for doing everything from miming to standing very still to handing out tracks). I guess when it isn’t commonplace to you, it seems specical anyway.
I would have stopped to listen… I love violin music. I didn’t know who he was until I read this. But I do understand being “invisible”…
How sad that noone stopped to enjoy the joy of music beign shared with them. They truly do not know the meaning of slow down and smell the roses.
I know I would have stopped …bless those sweet little ones whose heart is not tied to a clock!!
If he had chocolate, I definately would have stopped, even if I was in a rush
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wow! that is just amazing